Country Fest Name Suit Settled

The founders of a country music festival in Brownsville, Ore., have tentatively settled a trademark lawsuit over the ownership of the Willamette Country Music Festival name.

Under terms of a new agreement, the fest’s founding sponsor Bi-Mart and VP of operations Anne Hankins will pay $200,000 to retain the festival moniker, according to court documents obtained by the Eugene Register-Guard.

Founding promoter Warren Williamson reportedly filed suit in January against Bi-Mart and Hankins, alleging they attempted to steal the Willamette Country Music Festival name after parting ways with the promoter and announcing plans to stage this summer’s fest. Williamson incorporated the name in 2007.

However, Hankins told the Register-Guard that she only decided to form a new promotional company after last summer’s festival, when some participants in the event claimed Williamson had dropped the ball on stage management and parking.

Willamette Country Music Festival Inc. went into Chapter 7 bankruptcy last fall and the settlement will apparently go to the bankruptcy estate to help settle up creditor claims.

This year’s Willamette Country Music Festival is Aug. 19-21 and performers include Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton and Little Big Town.